Harris “womped” everyone. No doubt she’ll set her sights on Sanders in the 2nd debate, and then he and Biden can go sit on the sidelines. Harris is a bit too liberal for me, but I like her much better than Warren – I think she can beat Trump, even if she’s not my favorite candidate.

I’d like to see Biden and Bernie both drop out, the party needs a viable future. Thanks to Joe for all the good he has done, and Bernie still has a few good years left in the Senate.

Ed

PS Several of the women did a good job both with articulating policy, and having the ability to communicate with personality that the audience responded to. Hillary just didn’t have the pizazz to connect with enough voters, perhaps this is the moment a woman will become POTUS.

I really want Joe Biden…well, Joe Bien circa 2008. He is still my default candidate unless someone else emerges – and I think Harris did last night. Biden looks…old, and a bit slow in his reactions.

Now, Harris is terrible in staged events – she has a fake laugh and gives terrible speeches full of cliches and platitudes – but in debate situations, in one on one situations, she is terrific. Her long experience as a prosecutor shows. Did you see her questioning of William Barr in the Senate a few months ago? The other senators questioning him never really laid a hand on him, but Harris nailed him. She’s incredibly tough in those situations, can think quick on her feet, but is articulate and direct. I think voters like toughness.

So she needs improvement. Obama did too when he got started in 2007, but he got better, quickly. Last night Harris stepped up. That’s a sign of a good candidate.

I’m not crazy about her being from California. I think Tim Ryan was right about the Democratic Party needing to move back to the center of the country (though Ryan isn’t my guy for president). And I worry about Harris’s liberal politics. But I think she would destroy Trump in the debates in a general election. And that might be enough to beat him in three swing states, where African American turn-out was down in 2016.

A year ago, I was looking forward to Biden’s comeback in the 2020 election. Now, considering his launch and the way he has handles some issues (Really strong on some, stumbles on others), along with the field of candidates running alongside him…I’m less enamored of Biden that I was.

I think a Biden run rattles Trump the most, because most criticisms that he might throw at Biden would apply to himself.

edselehr: “I think a Biden run rattles Trump the most, because most criticisms that he might throw at Biden would apply to himself.”

But that is Trump’s MO: he projects his own weaknesses onto others. He routinely criticizes others in the harshest possible terms that would easily describe him. Trump is shameless and completely ignores any obvious hypocrisy. I think he’s done it so much now that his base is long since past caring – so to whom does it matter? Swing voters – maybe?

I continue to be impressed by Mayor Pete. But I don’t think he’s the person to beat Trump. And that’s all that really matters to me is that Trump loses. Any one of the top 8 or so candidates would be better and I don’t want to take any chances.

Pete Buttigieg is great – but not my favorite candidate. He is very sensible and authentic. It’s obviously why Harris went after Biden not Buttigieg: Biden was leading in the polls. You always go after the top dog. The others did, too (though someone did go after Buttigieg).

I don’t think America is ready for a gay president with a husband. That’s my biggest issue with nominating Buttigieg. Even if people have mostly accepted gays and lesbians getting married as “none of my business who you love,” having a gay president with a husband as My President is just a different issue to some voters. It’s symbolic, and to some on the right, intolerable. It would motivate and anger social conservatives more than ever. I don’t want candidate or even a president who does that. I don’t want to give independent swing voters any reason not to vote for the Democrat in 2020.

It’s likely not an issue for anyone here. But it’s not about us. It’s about the other states like MI, WI, and PA and how those voters view that. My bet is it results in lost votes vs gained votes. It shouldn’t be that way but we also have to acknowledge reality.

I have the same concerns with Harris in those states. Can a black female win when the previous white female lost all 3 of those states? But, after what I saw last night she improved her lot with me.

I think Bernie is done with the exception of his die hard base (KSKD). He looked tired, had tired old talking points, nothing new to offer. And everything he offers will never happen with GOP control of the Senate anyway.

Warren would be the worst major candidate we could nominate. I can see she’s already peeling off Sanders supporters left and right. But like Clinton, she’s an unlikable female and Trump would eat her alive and win all 3 of the must flip states.

Klobuchar is another female dud. Can’t risk it with her.

I liked what I saw from Castro. Again, can he win in the 3 must flip states? I’m interested in hearing more. Same with Booker.

Biden looked old and tired and cornered. I like Biden a lot but as last night proved I feel he may be too old for this game. He would have won in 2016 but you can’t have a do over.

Candidates that are toast as of this first debate: Bennet, de Blasio, Gabbard, Gillibrand, Hinkenlooper, Inslee, Ryan, Swallwell, Beto, and Yang.

Vitalogy: “I have the same concerns with Harris in those states. Can a black female win when the previous white female lost all 3 of those states? But, after what I saw last night she improved her lot with me.”

Well, I ask the same thing about ANY Democratic candidate: how would she/he do in PA, MI, and WI?

But I don’t see what being a woman had to do with Clinton losing them in 2016. I personally think a female candidate is a net POSITIVE in a presidential campaign. Clinton lost for other reasons that had nothing to do with her gender.

And Obama proved he could win all of those states – easily – two elections in a row.

So Harris’s race and gender do not concern me at all in regard to her elect-ability. I worry more about her liberal positions (she seems to have backed off on getting rid of private insurance, which I think is a “must” for any eventual nominee) and the fact that she comes from California. And I worry about her authenticity. As much as I dislike Warren and feel she would be an average, ineffective president at best, I do think she is sincere. Harris comes across as a phony except in these one-on-one or debate situations. But, Harris seems to have the toughness required to take on Trump and be an effective president. I don’t think Warren does.

“Klobuchar is another female dud. Can’t risk it with her.”

I agree that her campaign hasn’t exactly caught fire, but I really like her. I like her moderate politics. I think she should be on every candidate’s short list for VP. Even Harris’s. The idea of a woman-woman ticket sounds intriguing to me – imagine the contrast to Trump-Pence. That would be a huge shift in mentality. Harris, if she is the nominee, will, like Obama did, need an experienced VP to offset her own inexperience, and Klobuchar does have a lot more DC experience. Plus she’s from the midwest, which would help offset Harris being from California.

“Candidates that are toast as of this first debate: Bennet, de Blasio, Gabbard, Gillibrand, Hinkenlooper, Inslee, Ryan, Swallwell, Beto, and Yang.”